Preparation of vegetable fibers



may E29 ESRI, D. w. @RCN PREPRATICN 0F VEGETABLE FIBERS Filed Oct. 2. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l 0; Hf. Dran 12, 1931.. D. w. BRON PREPARATION OF VEGETABLE FIBS Filedoct. 2. 1929 4 Sheets-sheet .2

D. w. DRoN ,805,166

PREPARATION OF VEGETABLE FIBERS Filed Oct. 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 LD. W 3fm/1 Lama@ May l2, 1931. D. w. DRUM PREPARA,TION OF VEGETABLE FIBERS Filed Oct. 2. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Il (Ill Patented May 12, 1931 DOUGLAS WILLIAM BRON, F BELFAST', IRELAND PREPARATION OF VFGETABLE FIBERS Application led Gctoter 2, 1929, Serial No. 396,757, and in Great Britain November 7, 1928.

'.lhis invention relates to decorticating machinery such as may be employedl for removing pith, pulp or like waste matter from the libers'of leaves or other vegetable structures sfor the purpose of subsequently employing such` fibers in the production of textile fabrics'or for other purposes.

Heretofore when obtaining pita liber from the leaves of the wildpine or like plant lo from which it is produced, the leaves have been cut into lengths of about three feet which were fed by hand'sideby side in pairs to gripping devices which move the leaves between supporting means and a crushing or rasping wheel or cylinder with projecting ribs which were fitted transversely to the cylinder. Such devices had, however, comparatively limited output and difliculties existed in constructing them of a size suitable for dealing with larger quantities at a rapid rate.

rlhe object of the present invention is to overcome difliculties such as the foregoing and to provide improved machinery for the extraction or preparation of fibers as indicated.

The invention consists in a machine for dc .orticating pita or other libers in which a broad multi-compartment conveyor is .supplied with leaf sections, or the like, automatically fed to gripping devices thereon and after removal of the waste material the exlibr and the lutt ends or remaining parts of the leaf sections are also automatically discharged independently of each other from the machine. i

The invention further consists in a decorticating machine in which a crushing or rasping wheel or cylinder for operating simultaneously upon a number of leaf sections laid side by side is built froma plurality of more or less similar centrally apertured ring or disc members having projecting webs or teeth formed integral therewith and which are threaded upon the wheel shaft or positioned adjacent one another along the axis of rotation.

The invention further consists in a machine in accordance with one or both of the preceding paragraphs in which means carriedV by a moving conveyor'band operate to deposit leaf sections or the like upon, said band in desired relationship to gripping means carried thereby;

The invention further consistsin a machine in accordance with any one or more of the precedingparagraphs in which a control gate also actuated by movement of the conveyor band co-operates in the correct seizing or retention ofy the leafA sections by the grippers. i rlhe invention further Vconsists Vin a machine 1n accordance with any one or more of the preceding paragraphs in which cutting means are provided for severing at a'desirable location the extracted fiber from the butt end of the leaf sections and subsequently ejecting the said butt ends from the gripping means.

The invention also consistsA in improve-A ments in or relating to the preparation of vegetable fibers and in devicesV for effecting the same as hereinafter indicated.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings Figure l is a side elevation in part section 7,5 of a convenient form of machine according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan of the machine shown in Figure l, upper covering parts having been removed to show the mechanisms more clearly; Y

Figure 3 is an end elevation in part section on the line 3 3 of Figure l lookingk in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view broken in width of the upperparts of Figure 3 show'- ing more clearly the feeding and other mechanisms.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmental plan of 0 part of the mechanism shown in Figure t it being broken in a lengthwise direction;

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmental detail views of gripping means, in side and end elevation respectively;

Figure 8 is ay detail view of the decorticat ing means conveniently employechin side elevation;

Figures 9 and 10 are views respectively in elevation and plan of shearing orV cutting ings c3, c4 and c5, c on arranged at two regions in means incorporated in the machine illustrated in the previous figures.

In carrying the invention into effect in the convenient form illustrated generally in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the machine used comprises a carriage mounted on wheels and built up from a framework of girders upon which the various working parts or mechanisms are mounted or attached. A conveyor band or chain a provided with a plurality of connected tables b, b, b linked together is arranged to travel in the direction of the arrow at a desired speed say in the neighborhood of 350 feet per minute between two transverse parallel shafts c1, c2 suitably supported in bearlongitudinal girders c7, 08, the shafts having suitable guide wheels 'or sprockets m, 00 mounted thereon.

The tables or plates b, Z) of the conveyor are the length of the band to be divided longitudinally of the conveyor by intermittent ribs b1, b1 (shown more clearly in Figure l) into a plurality of say for example eight channels of similar width, each one of these channels being adapted to accommodate a leaf section when laid there in, the conveyor thus being` adapted to carry sixteen leaf sections during each complete revolution or cycle of operation.

The leaf sections which are to be placed in the channels are laid in a series of parallel bins or receptacles CZ, (Z, Z arranged above the conveyor band and suitably supported from the framework of the machine, each receptacle being provided as shown in Figures 4 and 5 with centrally opening doors each comprising two parts (Z1, (Z2, and the doors of adjacent receptacles being hinged in pairs on the common pivot bars (Z3, cl3, which doors when opened downwards allow the leaf sections to drop into the conveyor channels, a section being placed in each channel simultaneously. The opening of the doors may be effected as shown in Fgures l to 5 by means of transverse connecting rods or wipers (Z4, Z5 and cranks or arms (ZG, Z7 connected respectively thereto, the wiper (Zl' being located at one end of he bins and the wiper (Z5 being located atthe other end. These wipers are moved in opposite directions to act on alternate flaps by links Z8 and Z9 and cranks d10, (Zn respectively, The latter cranks are connected to the opposite ends of coaxial shafts CZ, Z13 which are supported longitudinally above the girder c7 by brackets or the like 09, 01, c, the central bracket 010 supporting also an arrangement of meshing bevel wheels CZ, eZ, (Zw.

The bevel wheel Z15 is keyed to one end of a short horizontal shaft Z17 at right angles to the axis of the shafts (i12, Z13 and at the other end of this short shaft is keyed a crank d a roller Z19 on the end of which lies in the path of cam elements b3, Z9* of suitable configuration which are attached to or formed on the adj acent side of the conveyor at suitable points in the length thereof. rlhe action of the cams on meeting the roller Z19 is to rock the shaft (Z17 through a suitable angle and through the bevel wheel Z15 and meshing wheels d, Z16 and shafts (Z12, Z13 to effect the required opposite reciprocation of the wipers d4, Z5 and thereby to open the doors cZl, (Z2, cZl, Z2 etc. of the parallel bins.

Immediately behind each of the two sets of channels on the conveyor band transverse gripping jaws el, e2 and et, et are provided, the lower jaw parte2 being so positioned that the tail end of a leaf section lies just above the forward end threreof and the upper jaw part @l when the gripper is in the position shown in Figures l and 2 being lifted up at an angle` by means of levers e5 positioned on the pivotal mountings es of the jaw so that the tip of the movable jaw is just clear of the bottom of the bins Z above the conveyor.

At the after or right-hand end of the row of bins a transverse door or flap f is provided hinged at f1 and extending for the full width of the conveyor band, the lower edge of this door when hanging downwards being in close proximity to the top of the conveyor tables and being castellatcd to correspond with the ribs Zyl, b1 dividing the width of the table members into channels. The function of the flap f is to prevent a leaf section or the like from moving forward with the conveyor and thus to operate tov push the back ends or butts of the leaf sections in between the open aws el, c2 of the gripper as the conveyor moves forward. When thus positioned the gripping jaws as el, e2 are close together as shown in Figures 6 and 7 owing to rollers c7 at the ends of the side levers e5 co-operating with the cam paths g provided by double rails at the sides of and following generally the course of the conveyor band, the double rails being conveniently connected to the framework. The jaws being thus operated to grip the leaf sections With a pressure adjustable through spring means r such as are illustrated, the sections are then able to move forward with the conveyor.

A cam surface 7L of suitable upper configuration is provided adjacent one or both sides of the conveyor band by upstanding ribs 71,1, h2 adapted to engage suitable abutment means as h3 at one or both ends of the transverse door f so as to lift the latter and enable the leaf sections now to move forward with the conveyor.

Mounted in suitable bearings supported on the girders c7, 0S at the end of the conveyor towards which the upper side is moving and positioned parallel with the conveyor shaft c1, o2 is a crushing, rasping or decorticating wheel z' comprising a cylinder having a plurality of projecting ribs or teeth l parallel with the axis thereof as shown in detail in Figure '8. Thisy cylinder may be say some ynine inches in diameter and run in an anti- Vclockwise directlonat a. speed in the neigh` borhood of 1700 revolutions per minute.

The toothed cylinder is bui t up from a plurality of more or less similar centrally apertured ring members or discs 2, 3 etc., each of which has the teeth formed integral therewith and these members are th'eaded or positioned upon the driving shaft j and may be suitably splined so that continuous teeth are formed running longitudinally of the surface of the cylinder.

The centre of the shaft is positioned some few inches above the centre of the conveyor band shafts c1, c2 and the forward ends of the leaf sections are', therefore, carried by the conveyor into contact with ther decortieating wheel, the teeth of which are at the vregion of meeting travelling downward and carry the leaves between the wheel and an abutment or like supporting means 7c the face k1 of which is curved to the path moved by the tops of the wheel teeth for width say as shown equivalent to about twice the width between two teeth.

The abutment Il? is arranged to be set up towards the decorticating wheel by suitable screw adjustment means at 702 to allow a space of say from four to six tnonsandths of an inch between the tops of the wheel teeth and the curved surface /rl of the abutment, this space being adjustable as above and decided by the thickness of the fiber which is to be extracted. The upper edge 7c3 of the transverse abutment is vprovided with a small diameter roller Z adapted to rotate on an axis parallel with the axis vof the decorticating wheel and arranged with its centre little below the centre thereof, this roller being driven as by a train of gear wheels m1, m2, m3, m4c in the same direction asthe decorticating cylinder. aniely, anti-clockwise, and at peripheral speed equal to the speen at which the conveyor band is moving towards it. The purpose of selecting equal speeds of the conveyor band and of the roller is to ensure that when the fiber is being withdrawn from the machine there will be a minimum amount of friction or pressure put on the liber.

The application of positive driving to the roller Z definitely ensures the cleaning thereofV by cutter k6.

Upon the opposite side of the decorticating wheel to the abutment and at about a similar or somewhat greater distance below the centre there is positioned cut-olin or clearing knife 7st having a downwardly facing edge set parallel to and as near as possible tonching the wheel teeth 1. This knife nacts to sever any-liber which may have become entangled with the wheel teeth and to eject the same thus obviating the possibility of fiber being carried round the decortic-ating wheel and fouling the same. For like purposes another knife lr6 is disposed on the abutment /f at the front of the roller Z for keeping the latter in a clean condition.

As the leaf sections held at their butt ends by the gripper jaws el, e2 are carried forward any tendency for a leaf section, if it should curl over, to fall over on to an adjacent one is prevented by longitudinal vertical partitions depending from the cover which duringY operation of the machine extends from the bins over the decorticating wheel, the depending partitions being disposed across the wic th of the conveyor so that their lower lie closely above the ribs h1, b1 etc., and in effect isolate the various channels in front the decorticating wheel. The leaf sections thus fed forward are craw'n down between the deco-rticating wheel e' and the abutment surface Ztl. The peripheral speed of the wheel is considerably faster than the speed of the conveyor band producing` a hannnering and drawing blow on the leaf and causing the pith or pulp to be crushed and broken by he teeth 'il of the wheel ,which will take place over the full length of the leaf section with the zrception of the butt which is held in the gripping aus. As the gripping jaws c1, e2 are travelling with the conveyor round tie end of the upper forward path and commence to recede along the lower backward path the libers of the leaf sections are drawn back again between the wheel teeth and the abutment and the pith or waste is knocked off the fiber and ejected by the action of the wheel teeth, the fibers being thus drawn backward over the roller Z until they are entirely free from the decorticating wheel.

rlhe construction of grippers as shown is such that the leaf section is acte-d upon by lthe decorticating wheel almost right up to the jaws so that practically only the stump or butt part actually held between them is unacted upon. This advantage, which considerably increases the effective output of the machine, is attained by keeping all points on the upper jaw when the gripper is closed as near as possible within the arc traced by the tip of the grippers when these are moving round from the upper side of the conif'eyor path to the lower side, the tip of the grippers being arranged to approach the decorticating wheel as close as working clearances permit.

As the fibers are drawn along the backward and lower path of the conveyor they will hang down and rest upon a suitable guide surface provided for them below the conveyor bands, said guide surface constituting hinged flaps or doors n, n, etc. forming the bottoms of a series of divisions nl, nl corresponding with the bins above the conveyor as shown in Figure 3. The flaps n, n are also operated by suitable crank and link gear being in operative connection through an arm g1, conlll) necting rod g2, arms g3, g", rod g5 and wiper connected arms gs with the gear actuating the flaps in the upper bins. The lower doors n, n can thus be opened simultaneously with the flaps in the overhead bins to allow fiber resting upon the doors n, n to drop outwards into a collecting tray o, at the same time that a fresh batch of leaves are being laid on to the conveyor.

At the far backward end of the guiding surface or doors shearing knives p, p1 of the reaper or clipper type are provided between which the fiber closely adjacent to the butt which is still held in the gripping device is drawn and these shearing knives are operated by an adjustable connecting rod p3, and a crank wheel 79'* driven through suitable gearing below the conveyor shaft c2 so as to cut off the fiber from the butts of the leaf sections as the gripper moves past the knives.

The fiber thus severed and lying upon the movable doors n, a of the lower receptacles can before other fibers are laid thereon be automatically discharged into the collecting trays 0 which are removable as desired.

By this means the fibers are kept in comparatively straight lengths throughout the whole operation of extraction and removal from the machine and tangling of the fibers by the rough edges of the butt ends of the leaves or other projections is prevented.

After the liber has been severed from the butt the grippers are opened when approximately below the shaftc1 by further suitable actuation of the levers e5 by means of the before-mentioned cam paths g and the butts are ejected from the grippers which are then ready to receive a fresh set of leaf sections when the conveyor band has carried them to the correct position for so doing. In the meantime the other set of jaws on the conveyor is advancing towards the decorticating wheel and gripping the butt ends of another batch of leaves from which the waste is being removed in the manner above described.

The conveyor band with the two sets of channels and the gripping devices el, e2 and e3, e* may perform a complete cycle or revolution in a time of say about two seconds and the batches of leaf sections must, therefore, be fed into the bins ready for being positioned thereby upon the conveyor band at the rate of one per second. This is easily accomplished by inexpensive boy or girl labour, the side channels being fed by persons standing by each side of the machine and the central channels by persons standing by the end thereof remote from the decorticating wheel.

The apparatus may be arranged to be suitably driven as shown from an electric mot-or y/ mounted upon the girders c7, cS behind the decorticating wheel and driving the latter though a belt or the like y/l. The decorticating wheel shaft may be conveniently geared from its other end through wheels y2 to gf to the conveyor shaft e2, suitable provision if desired being made for changing the intermediate gear wheels as ya to y for altering the rates of travel of the conveyor and operation of the other mechanisms.

The whole apparatus as above described may be supported upon a suitable girder bed or framework mounted upon wheels to form a movable carriage thus facilitating transport of the machine from one position to another.

It is to be understood that the various details of construction hereinbefore described are given by way of example only and that modifications and additions may be introduced without in any way departing from the spirit of this invention.

I claim.

1. A machine for decorticating pita or other fibers comprising a broad multi-compartment conveyor with the compartments in parallel thereon gripping devices transversely of said conveyor for gripping a leaf section in each compartment simultaneously, means for automatically dropping a leaf section into each compartment simultaneously, means for positioning Said leaf sections in said gripping devices, means for removing the waste material from the liber and means for automatically and independently discharging the extracted fiber and the butt ends of the leaf sections from the machine.

2. A decorticating machine according to claim 1 in which a rasping wheel for operating simultaneously upon a number of leaf sections laid side by side is built from a plurality of more or less similar centrally apertured ring like disc members having projecting webs or teeth formed integral therewith and which are threaded upon the wheel shaft and positioned adjacent one another along the axis of rotation.

3. A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which cam means carried by the moving conveyor band operate by cranks and links doors forming the bottoms of overhead parallel bins to deposit leaf sections upon said band in desired relationship to the gripping means carried thereby.

4. A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which a control gate in the form of a flap like member actuated by movement of the conveyor band co-operates in the correct positioning of the leaf sections so that they may be seized by the grippers.

5. A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which reaper clipper means are provided for simultaneously severing at a desirable location the extracted fiber from each of the plurality of butt ends of the leaf sections and means is provided for subsequently ejecting the said butt ends from the gripping means.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which a plurality of wide tables are linked together to form an endless conveyor running on sprocketed or like shafts, said conveyor having transverse gripping jaws actuated by lever means engaging a stationary cam track positioned adjacent to the motion of the conveyor to grip the butt ends of the leaf sections and retain them while waste is removed and until the fibers are severed from the butts.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim l in which said leaf section depositing means comprises a plurality of bins mounted above said conveyor and having a double flap hinged bottom doors operated through levers and links together with bevel gearing by cam means carried by the conveyor adjacent a side region thereof.

8. A machine in accordance with claim lin which a control gate in the form of a flaplike member actuated by movement of the conveyor band co-o-perates in the correct positioning of the leaf sections so that they may be seized by the grippers and in which said control gate comprises a hinged member disposed across and with its lower and free edge adjacent the conveyor in the path of the leaf sections, the gate when the leaf sections are seized by the grippers being lifted out of the way of said sections by the action of cam means moving with said conveyor.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim l provided with guide surfaces for receiving fiber of the waste-freed leaf sections, said surfaces comprising hinged flaps operating on the lines of the conveyor-supplying bins and in operative connection with the mechanism for controlling the same.

l0. Apparatus according to claim l having in combination with a decorticating wheel, conveyor means for feeding into the bite of said wheel a plurality of leaf sections laid in parallel thereon and said conveyor means being adapted also toperform the withdrawal of the treated section by its continuous movement and to present same to cutting means whereby the fibers and the parts unacted on by the decorticating wheel are divided so as to be ejected separately.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

DOUGLAS WILLIAM DRON. 

